


Aisha

by suecsit



Category: Cobra Kai, The Karate Kid
Genre: M/M, Post Finale, sequel to Bert, summertime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 04:12:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14741774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suecsit/pseuds/suecsit
Summary: Sequel to “Bert” Parts 1 and 2In which people have dinner and some go for an evening drive.Includes Aisha, Robby, Amanda, Sam, and Daniel (Anthony is on a sleepover).





	Aisha

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclaimer: This story builds on what happened in "Bert" but has less touching. I'm sorry. It won't always be that way.

“This was amazing, Mr. Larusso,” Aisha said, as she finished her last bite of pasta. “I missed coming over here for dinner, and now I remember why.”

Daniel smiled. “I didn’t do all of it, but thank you.” Amanda put her hand up and secretly mouthed “yes he did” to Aisha, who grinned. 

“Seriously, though, you should have come over long before this,” Daniel said, setting down his fork. “We’ve missed you around here, haven’t we, Sam?” 

Sam and Aisha exchanged a look.

“I mean I know you guys didn’t hang out much in school this year, but this summer’s a different story. You’ve been together almost every day, but we haven’t seen much of you.”

“Dad, you know we meet at Starbucks or at the commons now,” Sam said. “We’re not seven anymore.”

“No, I know,” Daniel took another sip of red wine. The glass was almost empty. “Still, you could use the pool, or you could—“

“It’s my fault, Mr. Larusso,” Aisha interjected. “I’ve seen Sam, but I’ve also been really busy, so I haven’t had time. I’ve had practice almost every day…”

Daniel thought he heard Robby choke on a bite of meatball, but when he looked at him he was just wiping his mouth with his napkin. 

“Every day?” Daniel asked. “It’s summer.”

“Well, Robby practices with you every day,” Aisha said.

“We don’t, do we?” Daniel looked at Robby. “We’ve only worked on things maybe three afternoons a week after he’s already at the dealership.”

Robby swallowed some water. “I think so.” 

“Think so? Has it been more?”

“No sir,” Robby tried to hide a smirk, “That’s right, I just—“

“It’s important to give yourself breaks so your body can heal, Aisha,” Daniel interjected. 

The table became noticeably quiet. It looked like everyone was holding more tightly to their chairs in case of an earthquake. They weren’t uncommon in California during summer.

“Yes, sir, we had a break yesterday, so I’m fine, but tonight we have to meet to go over one of the new kicks I want to learn,” Aisha said. “But it was my idea, though, I swear,” she hurriedly added after Daniel stared suspiciously at her.

Amanda cleared her throat. “Dessert, anyone?”

Aisha leaned down to look at her phone and read a text, which made her glance at the digital clock. It was 7pm, and she said she’d be at practice at 7:30pm, and that meant she’d only be on time if traffic was light. “Actually, uh, I’m so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Larusso, but I have to miss dessert. Thank you so much.” Aisha pushed back from the table and stood up. “Sam, can you drive me to Reseda?”

Daniel put his napkin beside his plate. “If you need a ride, I’d be happy to give you one.” 

“No, Dad, I’ll do it. I told her I would,” Sam rushed in. “Really, I don’t mind.” 

He watched as Aisha gripped Sam’s shoulder as if to hug her from behind. 

“No, you can’t. You already told Robby that you would give HIM a ride in the other direction, so…unless….” Daniel coughed, mimicking Robby’s choking sound from earlier… “Robby wants to come with us?” 

Robby looked at Sam with pleading eyes. The last thing he wanted was to have Daniel combine his trips. He’d be dropped off second, and then he’d have to stop at the dojo. And as much as he didn’t want to see his dad, what he really didn’t want was to see his dad see Daniel and then have to duck to avoid the fallout. By this point in the evening Daniel had had at least two glasses of wine, and his dad had probably had, well, who knows how many beers, and Robby could tell how much the adults in his life drank based on the time of day and what kind of consequences it could lead to. He was rarely off. 

“I could take the bus,” Robby offered weakly, but Daniel patted his shoulder, perhaps with a bit too much force. Robby grimaced. That was the shoulder that had been dislocated. 

“I was kidding. Stay here and enjoy dessert. It’ll give us time to catch up, won’t it Aisha?” 

Amanda rose from the table and looked at her husband, “Could I see you in the kitchen before you go, honey?”

When the two adults left the room, Sam grabbed Aisha’s hand. “I am so, so, sorry…” she said. It didn’t help to see that Robby was trying as hard as he could not to laugh, all the while rubbing his shoulder with his other arm.

“Are you sure you need that ride?” Robby asked. “If I were you, I wouldn’t get in that car. You couldn’t pay me enough.”

“Keene, you’re seriously doing nothing to help right now,” Aisha muttered. Robby burst out laughing. 

“Ok, “ Sam said, holding her hands out, brokering peace. “Everything’s going to be fine. Robby, it’s not funny, so stop laughing. Aisha, I’m sure it’ll be ok. He’ll just drop you off—“

“No he won’t” 

“Robby, shut up. He’ll just drop you off, and I’ll see you tomorrow, and everything’s going to be fine.”

Daniel reappeared at the kitchen door, this time with the keys to the SUV. “You ready?” Aisha looked like she was going to her execution. 

*****

“So….” Daniel turned his radio to a station that played 80s adult rock. “How’s it going?” 

Aisha had been biting her nails in the seat, getting more and more anxious as they left Encino and began to cross into what she considered the sketchier part of the Valley. 

“Fine, sir. Just…fine.” She kept her eyes focused downward. After a beat, she responded, “I’m going to register next week for my junior classes and I’m planning to take AP Biology along with Chemistry, and my mom’s a bit worried that--“

“What kick are you working on?”

Aisha looked up. “What?”

“You said you were working on a kick,” Daniel persisted. “What kick?”

“Yes sir, but I—“

“Look, if you don’t want to tell me, I understand. I’m just curious is all.”

“No, no! It’s not like that. I was actually going to ask sensei, uh, I mean, my coach if he would teach me this thing that Miguel knows…”

“Was it something Miguel did in competition?”

Aisha prayed the ride would end soon. And then she prayed it wouldn’t. 

“I….couldn’t say. I can’t remember.” 

Daniel kept his eyes on the road. 

******

When the car pulled up to the strip mall, Aisha almost jumped out while the vehicle was still moving. “Thanks so much for the ride,” she shouted back, moving quickly to the door. 

Daniel watched her go in. Watched Johnny greet her and then motion her to the changing room. Then Johnny came to the door, curious why his student had entered the dojo like she was being chased. Aisha rarely scampered across a parking lot like that. Johnny was ready to beat up the relative who made her that afraid. 

He walked outside and saw Daniel’s SUV. Daniel at the wheel still, his ignition running but quietly, like all expensive cars do. He was bent over his phone, and it looked like he was pretending to text someone. Johnny knew better.

It would take Aisha a little while to change. He had time for some fun.

He waited a moment and then knocked on the car window. Daniel jumped. 

The window rolled down. “Shit, Johnny, you scared me.”

“No, I didn’t. Who’re you texting?”

“Texting? No one, I was looking for directions back home.” Daniel’s phone tumbled out of his lap and on to the floor near the brake pedal. 

“But you’ve been here before.”

Daniel just looked at him. “I got lost that night, too.”

“Sounds like you’re good with directions. Isn’t this out of your way?”

“Well, Aisha was having dinner with us, and she looked scared to be late.”

Johnny looked behind him through the window. Aisha had stepped to the middle of the mat and begun stretching. They didn’t have any real privacy, and that was disappointing. 

“Haven’t seen you around lately,” Johnny said. 

“It’s been a crazy summer.”

“I told you where to find me.”

“Johnny, we can’t—“ Daniel looked over at Aisha stretching. “This is crazy. These kids think we hate each other. My wife thinks we hate each other. Actually, I’m pretty sure we DO hate each other.”

“So?” Johnny smirked at him. 

Daniel’s words continued to tumble out in a rapid, somewhat disorganized fashion. “I know the tournament was really nostalgic and you were happy about winning and it had nothing to do with me so I don’t even expect you to remember anything at all because—“

“I remember everything.” Johnny interrupted. “And if you think I acted like that because I was HAPPY, you’re crazy. I saw my kid get beaten. Watched him walk off with you. I wasn’t HAPPY about anything.”

“I already apologized for that.”

“Larusso, that’s not the point. The point was…I wasn’t happy. YOU were the only thing that made me happy.” He watched the shock register on Daniel’s face. “Deal with it. Quit being a fucking coward.”

“I’m not a coward.”

“About this you are.”

“You don’t understand.”

“What, that you’re married? That you hide in that dealership with your crazy cousin and your wife and think you’ve got it made?”

Daniel tried to use the automatic button to raise the window. Johnny anticipated it, and put his hand on the rising glass. The window stopped. They stared at each other from either side of the door.

Daniel groaned and knocked his head against the seat. Johnny took pity on him and reached in to touch his shoulder. “Stop beating yourself up. You haven’t done anything.”

“Yet.”

Johnny’s jaw dropped. Daniel didn’t even seem embarrassed that it slipped out. He just looked wistful….and tired.

“What kick are you teaching her?” Daniel nodded toward the dojo.

“Wow,” Johnny said, reaching for Daniel’s wrist to look at his watch. “Would you look at the time.” He backed away from the car. “Can’t keep my student waiting, so I have to go.”

“What kick are you teaching her?” he called out after him.

“It’s illegal,” he yelled back. “But useful.” 

Daniel smiled. He saw Aisha hurry to the door to open it for Johnny. Daniel saw how she looked at her sensei’s face as if to search for injuries. He couldn’t help but laugh.

Johnny turned around, in full view of Aisha, and waved at Daniel before he pulled away. Daniel, feeling cheeky, blew him a kiss. 

Johnny smiled. Aisha looked confused. She quickly recovered as Johnny barked an order. They bowed to one another.

Only this time Johnny’s bow seemed directed to someone just beyond the mat.


End file.
